Improvement in middlings-purifiers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES RIGBY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT 4 TOV. A. FARB, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MIDDLINGS-PURIFIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [60,35 l, dated March2, 1875; application ld January 9, 18,75.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, J AMES RIGBY, of Springfield, in the county of Clarkan d State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements inMiddlings-Puriers 5 and I do hereby declare that the following isa fulland exact description thereof, reference vbeing had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one end of the machine; Fig. 2, asimilar` view of the other end of the machine; Fig. 3, a horizontalsection of the machine in a plane indicated y by the line x x, Fig. l;Fig. 4., a longitudinal vertical section of the oscillating sash thereofdetached.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

My invention consists in several features of improvement in and appliedto axially oscillating screen or bolt sashes for middlings-puriliers,the uses and advantages of which mprovements will be herein specified insuccession.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a suitable frame, in which ismounted a screen or bolt sash, B, consisting of a shallow frame,'andbolt-cloth attached to and covering the under side thereof, the framebeing only sufficient in height to contain and proper1)r act on thematerials received therein, whereby the sash is rendered light, andcapable of any desired extent of axial oscillating movement upon a shaftor axis, a, the oscillating or see-saw motion being from an inclinationbetween forty-five and eighty degrees from a horizontal position in onedirection to an equal inclination in the other direction, and the limitof each movement being determined by suitable stops b b, as shown in thedrawings, or by equivalent means. By this movement the materialintroduced into the 'sash is caused to slide over the bolt or screen oat the bottom of the sash alternately from side to side, and to come toa sudden or abrupt stop, so that the momentum thereof is suddenlychecked, thereby not only freeing the flour from the middlin gs veryefi'ectually and quickly, but clearing the bolt at each oscillation, so

- that it is kept clear and without obstruction.

To communicate the oscillating motion to this sash, I employ a crank,el, on the driving-shaft (l, under the sash, and connect the crank withthe end of the sash near one side thereof, as at f, Figs. 1 and 3, by aconnecting-rod, D. One feature of my improvement consists in alongitudinal slot, g, in the end of the connecting-rod D, to work overthe sash-pivotf, as shown in Fig. l. The effect of this slot, orequivalent connection between-the connectingrod and sash, is to allowthe sash to remain motionless for a short time at the close of eachaxial oscillation, while the driving-crank d continues to turn and tomove the connectingrod, thus permitting sufficient time to intervene forthe sash vibration to act on the material before it is moved in the nextoscillation.'l I employ a cover, E, Figs. 3 and 4, upon the top of thesash, covering all or nearly all of the inner space thereof, so that thematerial being operated on in the sash may be retained therein withoutwaste or escape, however near to a vertical position the sash may beturned in each oscillation. By this means I am enabled to give fulleffect to the axial oscillation in carrying it to the fullest extentdesirable. Another improvement consists in what I have termed aclearer,7 G, located in` the sash, composed of a suitable flexible softmaterial, such as a long bag or tube of cloth lilled with some stuflingto give. it sufficient light weight to slide from side to side of thesash, over the bolt or screen, and thus keep the cloth clean and free,and to help the passage ot' the our through the same. preferablyattached loosely at one end to the sash, as shown, or even at both ends,to keep it in position, but so as to allow it a free sliding movementupon the cloth from side to side of the sash. In connection with thecoveredY sash B, I employ, as another improvement, an

exhaust air pipe or tube, H, leading from the discharge end of the sash,and, in combination therewith, an exhaust fan or blower, I, situatedover the sash or in any other suitable position, all substantially asrepresented. This exhaust or suction, acting in connection with thecovered oscillating sash, works in the most perfect manner, drawing outonly the brown fuzz or light brous matter which floats in the It is sashabove the material operated upon, and not drawing out the flour adheringto the middlings, which is all passed down through the sash-cloth. Thepipe or tube El is inserted into the rear end of the sash at a point inline with the axis of its motion, and therefore does not interfere withits axial oscillation; and, in addition to the exhaust pipe and fan, asa further improvement, I admit the air for the draft and the material tobe treated through another pipe, L, at the head of the sash, which maybe also inserted concentric with the axial motion of the sash, and allowthe cover 0f the sash to entirely close or the sash may have a smallopening at the head, as indicated in Fig. 4. With this shallowcloselycovered sash, and a tube or oriiice at the head thereof to freelyadmit the air above the material therein, and a tube or passage at thetail end, through which the air is drawn from the sash, a light draft ofair is caused to flow continually and closely over the whole surface ofthe middlings in the sash, from the head to the discharge end thereof,thereby acting with the greatest efficiency to remove all the fuzz andfibrous material as fast as disengaged from the middlings, and this witha very small amount of air and slight expenditure of power to producethe draft. The offal finally passes off through a suitable outlet at thetail end of the sash. The flour separated by the sash is collected in areceptacle, M, beneath.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a middling's-purier, the combination with a covered bolt-sashhaving an axiallyoscillating motion to throw its contents from side toside, of an air-admitting tube or inlet at the head, and anair-exhausting tube or passage at the tail end of the sash, whereby acurrent of air is drawn over the whole surface of the material thereinfrom the head to the discharge end thereof, substantially as and for thepurpose herein specified.

2. In a middlings-purifler, the combination, with an axially-oscillatingsash, B, and driving-crank cl, of a connecting-rod, D, provided with alongitudinal slot playing upon the pivot, which connects it with thesash at the close of each oscillation, substantially as and for thepurpose herein specified.

3. In a middlings-puriiier, a clearer, G, constructed and arranged asdescribed, in combination with au axially-oscillating bolt-sash, B,substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4. In a middlings-purier, the combination of an axially-oscillatingcovered bolt-sash, B, a sliding clearer, Gr, an exhaust-pipe, H,exhaust-fan I, and air admitting and feeding tube L. substantially asand for the purpose herein specified.

JAMES BIGBY.

Witnesses:

WM. WILLI AMsoN, F. LANG.

